St. Charles County agrees on settlement in taser death case

ST. CHARLES (KMOV.com) - St. Charles County has agreed on a settlement in federal court with the mother of a man that died in 2008.

St. Charles will avoid a lengthy trial but will pay $91,000 to the family of James Wilson. In a statement from the county, a spokesperson says it is not admitting any fault in the case.

James Wilson, 22, of Alton, was at the Piasa Pantry Gas Station in West Alton, when investigators say he attacked his sister. A deputy with the St. Charles County Sheriff's Office arrived on the scene and, according to a witness, used a taser to subdue Wilson after Wilson moved aggressively towards him.

Wilson died after the incident and an autopsy showed the combination of the taser, an enlarged heart, and a blood alcohol level of .134 killed Wilson.

An internal investigation at the time cleared the officer from any wrongdoing.

A statement from the county says it would have had substantial costs in the trial, including using multiple experts in law enforcement, medicine and engineering.

Alton police records show Wilson had a criminal background with cases involving domestic battery and possession of marijuana and crack cocaine.

Wilson's mother also has a pending lawsuit against the company that produces the taser.